The present invention relates generally to the field of electronic imaging, and in particular, to digital cameras having memory cards.
Typical digital cameras include a memory card onto which captured digital images can be stored. Many digital cameras provide an indication of the approximate number of images that could be stored on a memory card. However, this number depends on the resolution level and compression mode, which can be confusing to a user. This can be difficult for the user to determine whether the memory card is nearly empty or nearly full.
Some new digital cameras provide two memory card slots, which enable images to be stored on either card, or transferred from one card to another. This increases a user""s difficulty in determining the amount of memory space that is available for storage in each of the memory cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,303 discloses an electronic still camera which uses a memory card for storing captured images. The camera includes an indicator light and detects the remaining capacity on the memory card, and causes the indicator light to flash when the available memory space on the memory card is close to capacity.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a visual indication which can quickly determine how much space has been used on each memory card, and how much available memory space is remaining.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a digital camera having an adjustable memory card fullness icon which visually indicates in graphic format the relative amount of available memory space on a removable memory card.
These objects are achieved by a digital camera having an adjustable memory card fullness icon to visually indicate in graphic format the amount of memory space that is available for storage in a removable memory card insertable into the digital camera, comprising:
(a) means for capturing and digitizing image data;
(b) a display;
(c) a processor coupled to the display for constructing the memory card fullness icon on the display, the memory card fullness icon having a graphical representation of a memory card, and including an inner portion that can be adjusted to graphically display the relative amount of memory space that is available for storage in the removable memory card;
(d) means for receiving the removable memory card;
(e) means for transferring the digitized image data into the removable memory card; and
(f) the processor including means responsive to the data transfer means for determining the relative amount of available memory space in the removable memory card and for modifying the adjustable inner portion of the memory card fullness icon on the display in accordance with the determined relative amount of available memory space to visually indicate in graphic format the present relative amount of available memory space in the removable memory card.
These objects are also achieved by a digital camera having a plurality of memory card fullness icons to visually indicate the amount of memory space that is available for storage in a plurality of corresponding removable memory cards insertable into the digital camera, comprising:
(a) means for capturing and digitizing image data;
(b) a display;
(c) a processor coupled to the display for constructing the plurality of memory card fullness icons on the display, each memory card fullness icon having an inner portion that can be adjusted to display in graphic format the relative amount of memory space that is available for storage in its corresponding removable memory card;
(d) means for receiving the plurality of removable memory cards;
(e) means for selecting one of the plurality of removable memory cards for storage;
(f) means for transferring the digitized image data into the selected removable memory card; and
(g) the processor including means responsive to the data transfer means for determining the relative amount of available memory space in the selected removable memory card and for modifying the adjustable inner portion of the corresponding memory card fullness icon on the display in accordance with the determined relative amount of available memory space on the selected removable memory card to visually indicate in graphic format the present relative amount of available memory space in the selected removable memory card.
It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a digital camera having a simple, easily understood visual indication of the approximate amount of memory remaining on a removable memory card. In this manner, a user would know whether an additional memory card is needed, or whether captured images should be downloaded to a computer for storage.
An important feature of the present invention is that a digital camera can have two memory cards and a user can select the appropriate memory card for image storage. A user can determine how much memory space is available on each card by viewing the graphical display on the icon. This is particularly useful for applications such as sports photography, where the photographer would like to know whether a memory card is nearly empty or nearly full before a major event is about to occur. A user can also transfer images from one card to another within the digital camera. This is particularly useful for image management in situations, for example, where a user is taking pictures for multiple clients.